This invention is an apparatus for providing uniform controlled application and spreading of surface treating fluid on surfaces such as floors, as the apparatus is moved freely over the floor.
It is typical of past approaches, in providing the application of treating fluid to floors, to provide a carriage with two large wheels on an axle and two casters to support the carriage. However, it is also typical to impose a mechanical pumping mechanism on the axle to pump treating fluid onto the floor whenever the wheel and axle are rotated as the carriage is pushed or manipulated over the surface of the floor. This creates a significant resistance to straight and turning movement of the carriage and tends to cause untimely dispensing of treating fluid when the carriage is turned or otherwise manipulated, and otherwise, when no treating fluid is called for.
Also, having a fluid pumping mechanism imposed on the support wheel or axle causes resistance to motion of the carriage. This resistance impedes the required movement and regular turning manipulation of the carriage, reducing efficiency, and causing fatigue of the operator.
Further, inasmuch as prior contrivances tend to have the mechanically driven fluid pump as a slave to the rotation of the wheels and axle, it is difficult to make any adjustments to the quantity of fluid flow relative to movement of the carriage over the floor and rotation of the support wheels. Often this requires complicated plumbing and mechanical pumping apparatus. Also, this requires that the wheels must rotate to actuate the pump to supply fluid to the floor, when there are occasions that it would be desirable to provide fluid without having to move the carriage for some distance over the floor to activate the pump.
Inversely, there are occasions, in the situation, where the pump is a slave to rotation of the carriage wheels, that treating fluid would be pumped when no fluid is desired. A specific example would be when the fluid applicator is pivoted up and away from the floor. This requires a pan or trough be provided to intercede and catch the treating fluid to prevent unwanted application of treating fluid to the floor. In addition, past contrivances that have a mechanically driven pump as a slave to the rotation of the axle, the pump will tend to provide a pulsing supply action as the axle cycles the supply pump. This pulsing tendency lessens the likelihood of providing a uniform application of treating fluid.
Also, when a mechanically driven treating pump is a slave to the wheel and axle rotation, as in prior art, the speed with which the operator is required to move the carriage over the surface of the floor is also a slave to the pumping mechanism. This does not allow ready differentiation between over-the-floor speed of the carriage and pumping speed for supplying fluid as may be desired when the carriage is in motion.
Various prior art carriages provide an applicator pad support structure or other spreader for the treating fluid by placing a pad or other spreader in the path of the carriage. Typically, the pad is placed flat or loosely on the floor to be treated and the pad tends to float on fluid on the floor, or deflect as a result of varying friction with the floor, without providing a uniform applying and spreading action of fluid on the floor, such as a squeegee action to control the quality of the application.
It is the general object of this invention to create an apparatus for providing uniform controlled application and spreading of surface treating fluid on floor surfaces as the apparatus is freely moved over, and otherwise manipulated over the floor surface.
More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a surface treating apparatus whereby treating fluid is pumped onto the floor, to be treated, without imposing any mechanical pumping mechanism on the supporting wheels of the apparatus.
Also, it is an object of this invention to provide a surface treating apparatus having a treating fluid pumping system that is independent, of and not a mechanical slave of over-the-floor straight line movement, or turning manipulation, of the apparatus.
In addition, it is a further object of this invention to provide a surface treating apparatus having a treating fluid pumping system which is significantly independent of movement and manipulation of the carriage of the apparatus over the floor. This allows the operator to provide a controlled, and uniform, yet differentiating, quantum of treating fluid without requiring, or enslaving, the operator to be confined to a fluid supply dictated by the rotation of the wheels or the manipulation of the apparatus in turns and change in directions.
Moreover, it is a further object of this invention to provide a system which provides a retractable, yet squeegee like, application to facilitate a controlled uniform and efficient spreading of treating fluid.